The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-05-25

The conflicts or two great wars, Is now In a
most prosperous cordition, and lives bless,
ing to Its faithful members, who have STOOD
by 1t through all the varying scenes OF Il life
time.
]. r. CUSNTNGHAM FURNISHES HANUScRIPT
SKETCHES BY WILLIAM sPEER, ESQ.,, BE-
GINNING IN 1886
Mr.. j. r.. Cunningham furnishes brief
sketch of Rocky River church In the hand.
manuscript OF Mr.. speer agrees with Or.
Howe that DR.. Waddell vacated the pulpit in
1885 but that the
Rev. William H. Davis came In lS!G Instead
close OF 1888.
Mr.. Davis, 1t is said, came from Tennessee.
He was an ,nns nnmarried man, ,,nn,.a ana
moved to Wellington and married MISS
Mary E. Moragne Il woman of superior tai
ent, o sister of John B.. Morugne who was
Body Body" was s, brought @ home ne and buried with mil
| itary honors at Wellington church In the
presence of an immense concourse Of people.
MIR. Davis lived there rs pastor OF Wilmington
large family, and after the war moved to Un-
ion Point, Georgia, where he Is still living.
Recently he was accidentally thrown from
without pastoral charge, but Is O good and
faithful servant whose life has been spent in
| the Masters services, and now about ready
to enter the rest and Joy OF the Church tri-
umphant.
AT the commencement Of 1880 the church
procured the labors Of the
| Rev. Jas. Levers who remained two years,
leaving in 1910. Mr.. Levers was unmarried,
and lived a great part OF his time among his
books. He was q native of Ireland, n great,
classical scholar, eloquent preacher with
peculiar for his absent-m lndcdness, so much
| so that he carried his "Grae Mujora" with
him TO the pulpit for his Bible and upon one
occasion went to the church to preach with
out his coat, being clad in his study gown.
Mr.. Levers was succeeded by the Y o, Il
Rev. John DuBose Wilson, who was ordain-
ed and installed May .l9th,, 1912, but in
ruary 8, lS43. not serving the church one
year. Although his stay was short he was
loved by all, aud every heart was made sad
and plous minister should be called from his
work so soon. He returned to .Columbia
where he fingered but n short time before "the
Lord took him. In October, lSi3, the
stated supply In the beginning of lsi6 his
engagement terminated, and he removed
to Mississippi: Mr.. Boggs had been for years
70 enan wn
tion of those poor people. Surely his lapors
were not in vain, and the great day of final
consummation will reveal the fruit OF his
for those who are instrumental in turning
many from darkness to light. Mr.. Boggs was
advanced In life when he returned from the
4
OF several children born in Indie. Among
them the Rev. VIM. E. Boggs, d. D., OF
Memphis, Tennessee and Rev. Samuel
Boggs, OF Kentucky. Truly the mantle of
sons. In April Of 1916 the
Rev. Thomas L. Mcbride commenced
preaching here and so continued until the
Gilbert, and +. T. Cunningham were elected
and ordained elders In Rocky River church
and Richard B. Cater, Alexander Hunter and
John Baskin were ordained deacons. j. r..
Cunningham was afterward added to the
Session, but at what particular time Is not
definitely known. Mr. Mcbride was an ac-
ceptable pastor. sincere and devoted Chris
broken In the missionary field. He had pre-
vlously labored for some years as u mission
ary to China, and with impaired health he re-
turned to to the home ed; and for tiye years
1 inflrmitles There Is O high chair still In the
church upon which he sat and preached the
gospel when unable to stand upon his feet.
This old chair points our minds back to this
servant of Christ, and sits there and silently
repeats the exhortation: "Be thou faithful
unto death. and will give thee crown Of
life" Mr.. Mcbride reared q family Of seven
children who are filling places of usefulness
in the kingdom OF Christ. One son fills the
fathers vacant place ir the ministry-Rev.
John T. Mcbride Of Marshall, Texas. Two
daughters became the wives of Presbyterlan
survives, although In broken health, and is
supported In purt from Invalid Fund of the
Church. She spends the most Of her time al
moved after leaving Rocky River church aud
where his last labors were eXerted In the
Masters cause. He graduated at Athens,
Ga, and few years before his death the de-
gree OF D. d. was conferred upon him.. In the
Rev. Joseph Gilbert began his labors with
this church and remained as pastor until No
vember, 1859. During this pastorate the men,
ola hot
five and thirty. Mr.. Gilbert was reared IN
this church. was baptised within the old
| walls, and, in the providence OF God was
called to baptize others and preach the gos-
Ills infancy. He was descendant of the won-
derful Huguonot family, and manifested many
OF their noble pecuiarities and would speak
his convictions of truth without the fea: ::
man. He was educated In part at Due West,
g. c., under the care Of John S. Pressly, grad
unted at Athens, Ca. and received his theo-
| logical education at the Theological Seminary
In Columbia. He came to Rocky River at the
| age OF thirty-Seyen ycars-was married to
Miss Mary Stanley, reared seven children who
with his wife still survive him. Mr.. Gilbert
was noted for his piety from his youth. He
dedicated himself to the ministry In early
life and spent forty years In that hard and
high vocation. On leaving Rocky River he
moved to Mississippi and died at Mt. Oliyet
| in that State In 1888. Thus the name of Gi-
bert has been erased from the roll of .he Pres
byterian ministry by the hand Of death.
June 20 1880, the
REV. J. DE WITT BURKHEAD WAS INSTALLED
PASTOR IN 1850, WHEN THE WAR BROKE
OUT.
Rev. J. Dewitt Burkhead was installed
pastor OF thfs church and resigned in 1855.
During this time the late Charles II. Haskell
was ordained mn elder and L. 4. Cater n
deacon. The membership was small, but Mr..
Burkhead was successful pastor and worked
with energy under many disadvantages and
tpfn nrrI1rA innd In sYpln ma frEG
from the Seminary at. Columbia and was H.
censed ordained, and Installed here as pastor
of Rocky River and Providence. Aferward
he married Miss Anderson and lived mid
way between the two churches, ns happy
country pastor. But soon lie was called from
| his quiet parsonage In defence of his country
and served awhile during the early part of
the unhappy strife between the states: Inn
medlately after the war he moved to Athens,
Ga, and thence from place to place doing
evangelistc work with Il success which few
men ever realized. His preaching is plain
and logical and powerful. He never fnils TO
stir the souls OF his hearers by his eloquent
appeals TO their intcllects and cousciences.
| 1t Is easy to see that he has made his work q
practical study. When he was young pas
tor here he practiSed the Grt of oratory like
school boy preparing for his commencement
speech. He now carries the honor of y. d.
| After Mr.. Burihead vacated the pulpit the
church was d Supplied for short time during
| D., Of Due West. who at that period was
| filling the place OF an evangelist for group
Of vacant churches including Rocky River.
| was reared and educated at Due West. and
was licensed and ordained minister In the
Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church
the church of his father Mr.. james Lindsay.
Lindsay was licensed and ordained, he
changed his ecelesiaSt!Gal relations ana
Joined the Old School Presbyternns. Mr..
Lindsay has spent his ministerial life In the